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October saw an increase of 204,000 jobs, according to today's Labor Department report, considerably higher than anticipated by economists. August and September payrolls were each revised upward. Several sectors saw gains, including manufacturing and professional and technical services. The unemployment rate ticked up from 7.2% to 7.3%.

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The Labor Department reported Friday that the economy added 204,000 jobs in October, a number that puzzled economists who had expected a weaker jobs report. One explanation offered is that because the report was delayed by a week, employers had more time to respond to payroll surveys, which could have skewed the numbers upward.

Employers in the U.S. caught experts off guard by adding 204,000 jobs in October, well above the widely held forecast of 120,000. More people reported giving up their search for work, bringing labor force participation down to 62.8%, the smallest figure since March 1978. The unemployment rate, which is based on a different poll, edged up from 7.2% to 7.3%.

Despite a partial government shutdown, the U.S. saw the addition of a surprisingly high 204,000 jobs in October, with revised figures for the preceding two months showing 60,000 more jobs than previously reported. However, the overall employment picture was mixed as the jobless rate rose from 7.2% to 7.3% and the percentage of Americans working or looking for work declined to its lowest point in 35 years.

October saw an increase of 204,000 jobs, according to today's Labor Department report, considerably higher than anticipated. August and September payrolls were also revised upward. Several sectors saw gains, including manufacturing and professional and technical services. The construction sector was up 11,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis. The unemployment rate ticked up to 7.3% from 7.2%.

The U.S. economy created 204,000 new jobs in October, which beat economist expectations of 120,000 jobs added last month. Meanwhile, unemployment ticked up to 7.3%. Economists questioned the reliability of the data because of the government shutdown in October. "I wouldn't be surprised if this gets revised to some degree ... down," says Moody's economist Mark Zandi.